What to do if you haven't found your passion

By the time I'd left high school, I, and what felt like the rest of the world, had given myself an immense pressure to find my passion. Simply put, it seemed that with a passion, life would be a happy and fulfilled one. The world tells you to find a job that you love, so you'll never have to work a day in your life. They tell you to follow your dreams. They tell you to do what you want to do. You agree, because that's the exact life you want to live. But if you were like I was; a fresh, indecisive, wide-eyed eighteen-year-old, you had no idea what you wanted to do that night, yet alone for the rest of your life. Fast forward six years, and my future, along with my passion, is still unclear.

There was a long while where I was caught up in figuring it all out. There were worksheets, blog posts, quizzes and self-help books, where I gained a mountain of ideas but still ended up in a passion-less ditch. I used to envy those that had found theirs, the ones that knew what they loved, what they worked for, what drove them. I wanted to have that too. Later, I realised that I just wanted a perfect answer to the ever-allusive question, as I thought it would help me become a better person, student, potential employee, sister and friend. I thought it would get the world off my back, and adults off my case.

But one fateful day, in the on-going, ever-frustrating search for my life's passion (aka. productively scrolling through Instagram), I stumbled across something that changed my perspective completely. It has put me at ease in my life and it has given me confidence to tell others that I haven't found my passion yet, and I'm not at all worried about it. It was this simple quote:

"live passionately."

- unknown.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realised how applicable this was to my life. I have ambition, drive and the will to succeed. I work hard, play hard, and make the most of the opportunities I want. I live my life in a positively considered and conscious way, and I aim to make each day the very best. Sometimes, it's just the very best nap I can have. Other times, it's making it to the stunning Alhambra in Granada, Spain (which is what you're seeing in these photos!) Because I haven't identified by passion yet, I choose to live passionately, not live for my passion.

How to live passionately

I have many friends that have come to me, concerned that they don't know what they want to do with their life, that they haven't got a passion, and that their time is running out to find one. In a previous life, I would have freaked out with them too, and completely dipped into the same rant. Now, I tell them that it's ok. You don't need a passion to live a fulfilled life, you just need to live passionately.

This means living with intention, positivity, determination and drive. And living without stress, anxiety or drama. Have a job that's not your dream one? Work like it is. Get given a task that's not in your job description? Do it with enthusiasm and take it as an opportunity to learn. Asked to take minutes on that big meeting? You never know what you might be listening in on. Invited to a networking event but you'd rather be in bed, anti-socially scrolling through social media? Rustle up the hustle as you never know who might inspire you. For me, I try and put 100% into everything I do, say yes every once in a while, and pretend like whatever I'm doing at present, is my passion. And yes, I do slack off at times!

Finding your passion

If you've made it this far down my passionate schpeel, you're probably sick of hearing the word passion. You're thinking, 'so she's telling me it's fine I don't have a passion, but I should live passionately, and I might find my passion? What the heck?'. Trust me friends, seek, and you shall find. Whilst living passionately, I've found that I love creative-directing photoshoots. I love creating content, with words and visuals. I love telling stories and I want to continue a career in it. I am passionate about building a conscious closet, about saving up to travel the world, about my plastic-bag-less grocery shop. I'm learning that life isn't all about one passion, an end game or one goal. For some people it is, but for me, it's currently not. I encourage you to try it out, and I'll say it once more. Live passionately. And see how you go!